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HIVE abuzz with surprises — including fresh flowers and a to-the-trade showroom
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HIVE abuzz with surprises — including fresh flowers and a to-the-trade showroom

By Carleton Varney

Sectional sofas are certainly retaining their comfortable position as a staple of today’s decorating world. If you look at the design preferences of the minimalist set, it’s not unusual to see a sectional sofa placed in...
Pumpkin season brings plenty of colorful inspiration
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Pumpkin season brings plenty of colorful inspiration

By Carleton Varney

It’s finally here — the season for pumpkin pie. Forget key lime, which I love during the warmer months, but I’m ready for that warm-orange hue on my dessert plate. These fall days signal the start of pumpkin gathering...
Lindbergh’s 'Gift from the Sea' is indeed a treasure
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Lindbergh’s 'Gift from the Sea' is indeed a treasure

By Carleton Varney

This year marks the 66th anniversary of the publication of Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s classic, "Gift from the Sea." I have just reread it and was so impressed by its sentiments that I have decided to...
Country roads lead to historic town in West Virginia
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Country roads lead to historic town in West Virginia

By Carleton Varney

Fifty years ago, the very popular and talented John Denver released what would become his signature song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads," which, in 2014, became West Virginia’s official state song. The late singer-songwriter wrote of the...
Decorate with the things you love
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Decorate with the things you love

By Carleton Varney

In our modern world, we reach out for so many things, don’t we? We reach out for companionship, for comfort, for knowledge and for inspiration.  In the design realm, we constantly reach out to the wider world to review ongoing decorating trends and try to predict what might be stylish tomorrow. Will our floors be bare: no rugs or Turkish carpets, no...
You'll be made in the shade with a colorful beach umbrella
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You'll be made in the shade with a colorful beach umbrella

By Carleton Varney

Labor Day may be on the not-so-far horizon, but it’s still beach time all over the world, from St. Tropez  to Nantucket, from the Hamptons to St. Croix, from Palm Beach to Key West.  That means it’s also beach umbrella time. If you have seen the smart and chic beach...
Don’t be afraid to freshen up traditional furniture
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Don’t be afraid to freshen up traditional furniture

By Carleton Varney

Decorating and design have been my work for some 63 years, so I guess it is safe to say that I am not a newcomer to the creative block.  And I’ve learned during my career to respect the past while...
Here’s a peach of a fresh decorating scheme
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Here’s a peach of a fresh decorating scheme

By Carleton Varney

The new summer color is peach.  If you happen to be vacationing along the shores of Georgia, you are certain to come across on a roadside stand, farmers market or shop selling fresh peaches, along with peach cider, peach pie and...
Wake Up a Room With a Top-Off of Coffee Color
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Wake Up a Room With a Top-Off of Coffee Color

By Carleton Varney

These days, it seems, every street corner has a coffee place, whether it’s a Dunkin’, a Starbucks or some other brand. And so it is in the terminals of airports, where coffee seems to be...